3 The repeat offender asked if there was in heaven some mighty one who commanded the keeping of the Sabbath day.
4 They declared, "The living Lord himself, the ruler in heaven, commands us to keep the seventh day."
5 Nicanor replied, "And I am the ruler on earth who commands you to take up arms and to carry out the royal orders." Nevertheless, he didn’t succeed in carrying out his terrible plan.
6 Nicanor, holding his head high with all his boasting, decided to build a public monument marking the defeat of Judas’ forces.
7 But the Maccabee was fully confident in his hope of obtaining the Lord’s help.
8 So he encouraged his troops not to fear the Gentiles’ attack but to remember the aid they had previously received from heaven and to look for victory from the almighty now.
9 Reassuring them with words from the Law and the Prophets, and reminding them of the struggles they had overcome, he made them even more eager.